


For You

by ClinicalChaos



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Fluff, Ice Skating, M/M, Nicknames, Presents, Skating, Sleepy Cuddles, cuddles & snuggles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-02
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-11 02:51:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5611099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClinicalChaos/pseuds/ClinicalChaos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gilbert Beilschmidt does not like winter. Hates the whole season, in fact. However, slowly but surely, Mathew Williams is showing him the up-sides.</p><p>Even if Gilbert does fall on his arse a bunch on times before seeing the proverbial light.</p>
            </blockquote>





	For You

**Author's Note:**

> AKA, Gilbert can't skate but can cuddle really well.

As a rule, Gilbert Beilschmidt did not enjoy winter. Winter was an aggravating circumstance. If life was hard, winter only made life harder. Also, staying warm required far too many layers in winter. What was the point of being gorgeous (like Gilbert) if you had to bundle yourself to marshmallow proportions just to stay warm? Damn ridiculous season, was what he was getting at.

Then, Mathew Williams came into Gilbert’s life. Mathew, who wore cable knit wool like it was a bespoke suit.  Mathew, who smelled like pine trees and mountain wind. Mathew, with his aurora borealis eyes hidden behind thin wire frames. Mathew, who had a mind like a river and a kiss like an avalanche. They’d just barely been dating a year, and already Mathew had made strides in showing Gilbert the virtues of winter.  

Today, that meant learning how hard Mathew laughed when Gilbert fell ass over tit into a snow drift. Fucking skating. Had Gilbert mentioned how much he hated winter? No? Well, he fucking loathed it. Just call him the Gil-Grinch, Gilbert Scrooge -

A pair of hands wrapped around Gilbert’s shoulders, plucking him smoothly from the snow. Gilbert immediately began to wobble, but strong arms wrapped around his waist and held him steady. That way, Gilbert just barely managed to stay upright. Mostly under Mathew’s power, but what the fuck ever. Skating was infinitely better with a hot Canadian curled around you, anyway.

Even better was being curled around in a warm bed, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. Though Gilbert wished.

“You know,” Mathew said, “You really weren’t doing bad until -”

“I fell on my face for the twenty-third time?” Gilbert drawled. Mathew ducked his head to hide a smile, but Gilbert caught the expression. A wave of warmth coursed through his chest. Mathew smiled all the time. In fact, Gilbert was convinced Mathew had a smile for every emotion. However, the authenticity of those smiles was debatable. So when Gilbert managed to coax the real deal out of Mathew? He racked the day up as a good one.

Even if falling on his face was a big part of that day.

Mathew pecked Gilbert’s cheek, drawing Gilbert from his musings. “I’m still proud of you, Gil. So proud I’ll even make hot chocolate while you hog all the hot water.”

Gilbert grinned, not even begrudging the height difference as he leaned up to kiss his stupidly tall boyfriend. “You know me so well, babe.”

Mathew hummed in agreement, his frame loose and graceful. Peaceful, Gilbert thought. People weren’t usually peaceful in Gilbert’s presence, nor was Gilbert ever peaceful in theirs. However, with Mathew, life was different. Gilbert would have been surprised, but he’d come to accept that Mathew was the exception to the rules of life.

Especially Gilbert’s.

“You know what would be even better, babe?” Gilbert added. “If a certain gorgeous Canadian held off on the cocoa in order to keep little, clumsy old me from taking a tumble in the shower.”

Mathew laughed, his breath misting in the air. “Is that so?”

Gilbert nodded so vigorously he would have tipped over again if not for Mathew holding him up. “Exactly. And that way I won’t be hogging the hot water, either.”

“Alright,” Mathew murmured, a look of consideration on his face. “But you have to pay my price first.”

“Oh, really?” Gilbert queried. “And what might that be?”

“Nothing too much,” Mathew assured, winding tight against Gilbert’s body. Oh, but how Gilbert bemoaned the many layers they were bundled in. Nipping at Gilbert’s ear, Mathew dragged Gilbert’s attention out of his imagination and whispered, “Just a kiss, mon amour.”

“I’d give you a thousand for every one you asked,” Gilbert replied, because fuck, he could be romantic, too. Placing gloved hands on either side of Mathew’s face, he brushed back Mathew’s hair and drew him into a sweet, teasing kiss. Mathew moaned, his hands tight around bunches of Gilbert’s jacket. He kissed Gilbert back desperately, achingly. Gilbert felt his face grow flush, urged on by the hammering of his heart. God, but he loved Mathew.

They broke apart with a gasp, wanting and needy. The wind whipped around them, but Gilbert could barely feel the chill. He would have carried on right there, but Mathew began moving them forward. In an effort to stay on his feet, Gilbert clung to Mathew’s side.

“A little warning would have been nice,” Gilbert grumbled.

“Sorry,” Matthew replied, “But if we keep going, we might wind up spending a lot more time on the ice than planned.” He winked, an adorable gesture that made Gilbert gooey inside. Gilbert wasn’t used to being gooey, but Mathew made going so easy.

Gilbert hummed. “Right, yeah, being inside sounds good. Lead on!”

Mathew laughed. Under his guidance, he and Gilbert made it to the edge of the lake in a few minutes. A lonely bench waited at the lip of the lake, making the switch back into boots much easier. They traded kisses and sweet nothings all the way up to Mathew’s door. Located in the Middle of Nowhere, British Columbia, Canada, Mathew’s property was the definition of privacy. In fact, where it not for the cheerful decoration, Mathew’s sprawling homestead might have proved a bit murder movie-ish. Definitely, there was no one around to hear you scream.

In Gilbert’s experience, that just meant they could afford to be a bit wilder in bed. Unfortunately, that would all come to a stop at the end of the week, when both Gilbert and Mathew’s families arrived for Christmas. Not necessarily a bad thing, as they both loved their families, but life was about to become a lot louder in their little piece of Heaven.

Whatever. As long as Gilbert had Mathew, he was confident he could survive anything. Even England and France in parenting mode. However, those were worries for another day. Right now, Gilbert’s only concern was getting into a hot shower with Mathew in tow.

* * *

 

“Lord, you’re so beautiful,” Gilbert breathed. He wasn’t lying, either. He’d buttered up many trysts with those words, but with Mathew he always meant them. Corded muscle, smooth skin, and hot to the touch, Mathew was a delicacy Gilbert loved devouring in slow, teasing bites. He’d taken Mathew apart in the bathroom, coaxing Mathew into the Jacuzzi instead of the shower. The hot chocolate had been forgotten, but Gilbert couldn’t bring himself to care. He’d barely had enough energy to get the master bedroom’s fire place going before he’d slumped next to Mathew in the bed.

Now, he ran his fingers up and down Mathew’s naked back, combing gently through Mathew’s damp curls when he ran into them. Mathew lay across his chest, ear over Gilbert’s heart. He was breathing softly, but not with the depth of sleep. Gilbert was halfway there, sated and drowsy in a way he’d never been with anyone but Mathew.

In the morning, they would start work for their families’ Yuletide invasion. The walk needed salting, the floor vacuuming, and the bathrooms cleaning. The guest bedrooms needed to be aired out and last minute presents bought and wrapped. Gilbert had already been contracted into teaching Mathew a few holiday German dishes, in the hopes of making Gilbert’s crew feel welcome. Gilbert had rolled his eyes. From where he stood, Ludwig and Feliciano would probably adopt Mathew before the first day was out. Mathew had flushed, but still sputtered something about making a good first impression.

Gilbert blamed England, but so did most of the world for something or other.

“I can hear you thinking from here,” Mathew murmured against Gilbert’s skin. His eyes were open only the smallest crack. Gilbert took his exhausted state as a compliment.

“Just planning out tomorrow in my head,” he replied.

“Don’t forget to add trimming the tree,” Mathew said. “If we don’t have it done before Alfred shows up, you won’t be able to see the branches for the tinsel.”

Gilbert chuckled, relaxing into the sheets before starting. He wondered… Well, he guess this was as good a time as any. Rolling slightly, careful not to disturb Mathew, he reached into his bedside drawer and pulled out a small-ish box.

“Hmm? Gil? You know it’s not Christmas, right?”

“Yeah, but most Germans open presents on Christmas Eve.”

Mathew raised an eyebrow, turning his face up so Gilbert could clearly see his fond expression. “Okay, but according to the advent calendar, it’s still a week and a half until then, too.”

Gilbert smiled. “I know, but because we’re putting the tree up tomorrow instead of the twenty-fourth, like in Germany, I figured you’d like to open this now.”

Curiosity filling his eyes, Mathew accepted the little package with an awkward kiss to Gilbert’s lips. With gentle hands, he unwrapped the paper and took off the box’s lid. When he saw the contents, he gasped.

“Oh, Gilbert…”

Gilbert grinned as Mathew held up the ornament. A small glass bird twinkled in the low light, its sweet violet eyes sparkling. Clutched in its claws was a maple leaf.

“I thought of you when I saw it at one of the Christmas markets West dragged me to,” Gilbert said softly. “You know, because I call you Birdie sometimes, and -”

Mathew kissed him, soft and sweet. The little bird was back in his box, safe as they embraced. “I think that’s the sweetest gift anyone’s ever given me,” Mathew sighed as they broke apart.

“Well, I am making you deal with Feli in the swing of Christmas,” Gilbert mumbled, feeling his cheeks heat up under Mathew’s adoring smile.

Mathew snorted, “Please, we all know Alfred had him beat the minute Rockefeller Square lit up the first time.” Mathew’s eyes softened. “But seriously, he’s beautiful. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” Gilbert murmured. Now that his mission was complete, he could feel his eyes getting heavy. Mathew snuggled in closer, pressing a kiss over Gilbert’s heart.

“I love you,” Mathew declared softly.

Gilbert smiled. “Not as much as I love you, Vögelchen.”


End file.
